Lovely Western music

A roundup of great masterpieces and popular songs of Brazilian music

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

If your knowledge of Brazilian music is limited to stylish, relaxing bossa nova you hear at cafés or the samba played during Carnival, this article is a must-read! Brazil is a vast, multiethnic country with a wide range of musical styles—so many, in fact, that when you include subgenres, the variety is astonishing.

In this piece, we’ve researched and compiled a selection focused on classic Brazilian standards and historically significant masterpieces.

Give these tracks a listen, and your image of Brazilian music might just change!

Great and Popular Classics of Brazilian Music (61–70)

VoltaGal Costa

GAL COSTA – VOLTA – 1973

VoltaGal Costa

A track included on the 1973 album Índia.

Sung by Gal Costa—whose clear voice made her a beloved figure of the Tropicália movement—in a guitar-and-vocal style.

Beautiful bossa nova music with a touch of melancholy.

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Esperando na janelaGilberto Gil

Gilberto Gil – Esperando na Janela – DVD Fé na Festa ao vivo (2010)

Esperando na janelaGilberto Gil

This song by Gilberto Gil, who also served as Brazil’s Minister of Culture, lets you fully immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Brazil’s Northeast from the very intro.

The cheerful rhythm of the accordion and Gilberto’s distinctive, smile-tinged voice are sure to make anyone fall in love with it.

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Expresso 2222Gilberto Gil

Gilberto Gil (expresso 2222)

Expresso 2222Gilberto Gil

Released in 1972, this track features outstanding guitar work.

By adding rock and jazz-fusion arrangements to bossa nova, it becomes a uniquely distinctive piece.

Beyond this song, Gilberto Gil incorporated various other musical styles into bossa nova to create new music and was a key figure in the Tropicália movement.

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Mas Que NadaJorge Ben Jor

Jorge Ben Jor – Mas Que Nada

Mas Que NadaJorge Ben Jor

To be precise, it’s sometimes described as samba funk—a fusion of funk and samba—but the funk-tinged melodies layered over a samba rhythm make it an irresistibly pleasant track.

The fusion of samba with other genres seems to be widely loved even in Brazil, the home of samba.

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Oração ao TempoMaria Bethânia

Maria Bethânia – Oração ao Tempo (DVD Tempo Tempo Tempo Tempo)

Oração ao TempoMaria Bethânia

Maria Bethânia, who is also Caetano Veloso’s sister.

From her 40th anniversary concert.

Her singing, with a spiritual aura as if seeing into people’s hearts, reaches straight into your soul.

Her voice is wonderfully steady, gaining even greater depth with the passing years.

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